Unwound Potential

Sheets of paper overflowed with designs for clockwork birds and blossoming vines, each sketch marked with notations abruptly ceasing mid-thought. Scattered amongst them lay fragments of metal – unfinished wings, coiled springs, a patina of oil clinging to every surface. The maker didn't seem to strive for completion so much as an exploration of limits; abandoned attempts became a growing record of what would not yield. A faint, metallic scent mingled with the earthiness of unfired clay, suggesting that fascination lay in the act itself, and not necessarily its outcome.